Cattle-guard.



" PATENTBD JULY 14, 1908.

W. E'. DEMENT.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLIGATION FILED SBPT.16,1907.

WALLACE E. DEMENT, OF BLAINE, WASHINGTON.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed September 16, 1907. Serial No. 393,156.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE E. DEMENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blaine, in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Cattle-Guard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to be applied at suitable points on a railway track to prevent animals from walking thereon, and has for its object the improvement on devices of this class and particularly on a patent granted to me on Feb. 20, 1906, No. 812,984 'for a cattle guard.

The object of the invention is to provide a cattle guard of simple construction and operation that will positively prevent stock from walking on a railroad track, by interposing a temporary barrier immediately in ad vance that cannot be passed.

This device consists broadly of a foldable gate on each side of a railroad track made of blades or arms and operated by a depressible platform placed between the track rails acting on a series of levers to operate the blades of the gate.

The construction is sim le', cheap and of few parts and is not affecte by the conditions of the weather. I

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts here inafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway track with the invention applied and in folded position. Fig. 2 is a verticalcross sectional view, showing in dotted lines the guard gates open across the track. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guard gate operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail of construction.

Similar numerals of reference are used on all the figures to designate like parts.

Fastened to each end of a cross tie 1 outside each rail 2 is a housing 3 within which housings the blades of two fan-like guard gates 4 and 5 are pivoted and fold when not in use. The housings are preferably of triangular shape in side elevation, with bottom 6 and straight outer sides 6 perpendicular thereto. The inner sides 7 of the housings face each other and incline upwardly and outwardly to the tops 8 which are at right angles to the inner sides. On a pin 9 passing through each housing 3 are pivoted a number of blades or arms 10 connected to each other by short chain sections 11 about midway their height.

The housings 3- are open on their inclined sides to receive the folded blades 10, and hollow within for lightness and room to contain a part of the gate operating mechanism. One triangular side 12 of each housing is detachably secured thereto to permit of access to the interior should repairs be needed or for other purposes. The removable sides 12 are cut away at their right angled corners for the entrance of levers 13 which assist in operating thegates.

A short distance from the gates 4 and 5, on the side facing the removable plates 12 and snugly fitted between two of the cross ties, is a frame 14 which projects outwardly on each side of the track a distance equal to the outer sides of the housings. Between the sides 15 of the frame are hinged two tilting levers 16, one on each side of the track,

carried by pivots 17 passing through the sides 15 of the frame and the levers. The levers lie with their fiat sides upward and fill the space between the two frame sides 15. They extend from within the track rails to and beyond the ends of the frame 14 where, if necessary, weights 18 may be attached to the ends of the levers.

A platform 19, the width of the levers 16, extends from rail to rail of the track, one end having a hinged connection to one lever,

while the other end of the platform rests on the inner end of the opposite lever. A sufficient weight or pressure on the platform 19 will depress it and cause the outer ends of the tilting levers 16 to rise, but on removing the weight or pressure the parts are returned to normal position by the weight of the outer ends of the levers 16.

An actuating arm 20 on each side of and parallel with the track, extends from the housing to the frame 14 on the further side of which is a bearing 21 in which the arm is pivoted. Adjustably attached to the arm 20 is a roller 20" mounted on a stem 22 extending vertically through the arm. The roller is adapted to rotate on its own axis and on the axis of the stem in a well known manner. The roller is adjusted to height by nuts on the stem above and below the arm 20, so that it, (the roller) will at all times rest on the tilting lever 16. The opposite end of the arm 20 has pivoted thereon two levers or links 13 and 24, the latter lever extends beyond the outer side of the housing 3 and is pivoted to an extension 23 thereon the former lever 13 after passing through the hole in the side plate 12 is connected to one of the arms 10 of the gate. An exactly similar construction and arrangement will be found on the opposite side of the track to open and close the gate on that side.

When the platform 19 is in normal position as in full lines, Fig. 2, the arms'orblades will be folded together and lying in their seats on the inclined sides of the housings. If now an animal steps on the platform, it will be depressed and raise the outer ends of the tilting levers 16 which in turn elevate the actuating arms 20. The levers or links 13 and 24, together form toggles which being lifted by the arms 20, cause the levers 13 to move endwise and unfold the gates through the connections therewith. It will be remembered that, as the outer ends of the toggle links 24 are fixed against endwise movement, the links 13 will partake of such movement when the arms 20 are .raised or lowered, thus giving the inner ends of said links sufficient travel to operate the guard gates.

The blades or arms 10 forming the guard gates 4 and 5 are of different lengths so that when opened by an animal, a barrier is inter posed in front of said animal, too high for it to jump over and the blades too close for it to pass through. One of the blades 10 on each gate 4 and 5 is connected direct to the toggle link 13 and is moved positively when the arm 20 is raised or lowered. The other blades 10 are joined to this blade by chains 11 as before mentioned. Secured to the longitudinal edge of the arm or blade 10 is a finger 25 preferably long enough to extend behind the adjacent blades when said blades are in closed position, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. moved to close the track the arm 10 is positively operated, and by means of the finger 25 carries the other blades with it and raises the outermost blade by the chain 1 1. Reaching the vertical or a little past the vertical position, the blades 10 will fall by gravity as far-as the chains 11 will permit and the arm 1O be held by the operating mechanism at or a little past the center. The gates are folded when the platform 19 rises, and, through the connections described, move the arms 1O outwardly to their folded position, shown in full lines in Fig. 2, drawing with When the gate is.

them by means of the chains 11, the arms 10 which fall by gravity into place in the housings.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a cattle guard, a movable barrier, a depressible platform, tilting levers supporting the opposite ends of the platform, an actuating arm extending across each lever and resting thereon, a pivotal support on one end of each arm, and means connecting the opposite ends of the arms with the barrier for operating the latter when the platform is moved.

2. In a cattle guard, a gate comprising a plurality of foldable blades or arms, a housing to which the gate arms are pivoted and which supports them when folded, a depressible platform, tilting levers supporting the opposite ends of the platform, actuating arms extending across said levers, a roller on each arm and resting on and movable over the outer ends of the tilting levers, a pivotal support for one end of each arm, and means connecting the opposite ends of said arms with the gate for operating the latter when the platform is moved.

3. In a cattle guard, a blade fixed to a horizontal pivot pin, other blades loose on said pin and joined to each other and the fixed blade by flexible connections, the whole forming a guard gate, a toggle having its ends connected respectively to the fixed pivot and to the gate, a tilting lover, a depressible platform supported by the tilting lever, and an actuating arm pivoted at one end and extending across and in. contact with said tilting lever to connect with the center of said toggle.

4. In a cattle guard, a gate comprising a plurality of foldable blades or arms, a tilting lever, a depressible platform supported by said lever, an actuating arm extending across the tilting lever and resting thereon, a pivotal support for one end of the actuating arm,

and means at the other end of said arm for operating the gate when the platform is depressed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE E. DEMENT.

Witnesses WVM. MAonoNALn T. MYERs. 

